Tesco’s Everyday Low Price Initiative

A new Tesco promotion started last week but its content reflects a policy switch to “everyday low prices”.

In response, presumably, to the market place “half price offers” have been ditched and replaced by these long term price reductions on, for example, a selection of Finest* wines.

A few time-limited deals survive and ones I can particularly commend appear as the final three items in this post.

Click on any of the bottles shown for an enlarged image to help you pinpoint the wine on a crowded shelf.

Sicily’s Revival Champion

This dark and robust indigenous red grape was the pace setter in the revival of Sicily’s wine industry and, apparently, is now the most widely planted red variety on the island.

So, enjoy the sweetish spices but savoury edge of 2014 Finest* Nero D’Avola (£6) with its lively damson, prune and black cherry fruit nicely supported by mint, vanilla and plum stone touches and surprisingly gentle tannin

Sheep love this grape – Baaah!

Head north up Italy’s mainland for a little known – but rich and nutty – white variety that is quickly recovering the ground it lost to verdicchio in the last century.

The legend that sheep (pecorino) love this variety above all others is dubious, but there is no question about the quality of the rounded herbal touches of 2014 Finest* Pecorino (£6.25) or the tangy apple and white peach fruit components that accompany them.

A £10 sophisticate

Although it is not strictly at an “everyday low price”, this skilfully made £10 example of bone china chardonnay represents excellent value drinking any day.

Revel in the soft delicacy of 2014 Finest* Chablis Grande Cuvee (£10) with its ripe melon fruit, bright lime-centred acidity, pithy pink grapefruit influences and just the merest hint of toffee.

…… But for incurable deal-o-holics ….

A handful of old style offers have survived (mostly among branded wines) and here are three that I can recommend – although I may have written about some of them before:

New vintage sauvignon

The lime and lemon driven 2015 Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc (£7.50 – instead of £9.50 until 9 February) has crisp green apple crunchiness.

That acidic bite is neatly complemented, however, by a mellower mango based depth.

………….here’s another

The grassy and aromatic 2015 Oxford Landing Sauvignon Blanc (£6.25 – instead of £7 until 9 February) from South Australia brings us the depth of gooseberry flavours you might expect from, say, Marlborough.

They are supplemented, however, by lively white peach components that, in turn, are underpinned by suggestions of spice, mint and herbs.

…………… and, finally, a red.

Dark, rich and complex, Piccini Memoro (£6 – instead of £8 until 9 February) has clearly defined, long, black cherry and raspberry fruit with soft tannins, gentle acidity and a textured nutty spiciness that knits it all together nicely.